Egypt’s VP: Opposition’s Demands Will Be Met

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman told ABC News on Sunday that opposition demands, and those of young people who have protested in the streets, will be responded to “positively,” but a quiet transition of power from President Hosni Mubarak’s rule is needed so Egypt does not descend into further chaos.

In an exclusive interview with Christianne Amampour on “This Week,” Suleiman – who met earlier in the day with a wide representation of major opposition groups – also said he does not want to be, nor can he constitutionally become, Egypt’s next president.

The political transition “is a process started by national dialogue, which I started this morning and we will continue tomorrow, and after tomorrow,” Suleiman said.

“We want the young people to know that, all your demands, all your requests, we respond to positively, and we promise that we will do, and we need quiet time to implement these things to happen,” he said. “I want from the opposition [to realize] in this limited time, we can do what President Mubarak has said, we cannot do more. When a new president will come, you have more time to do any changes that you want.”

Amampour asked Suleiman what would be the consequences if Mubarak decided to immediately leave.

“We don’t want chaos in our country. If President Mubarak will say ‘I am leaving now,’ who will take over?” Suleiman asked. “In the constitution, that means the [parliament] speaker will take over. I think with this atmosphere that means the other people who have their own agenda, will make instability in our country.”

Suleiman also said he believed that protests by young people, which also are roiling other Middle Eastern countries, are being instigated by an “Islamic current.”

“I don’t think this is just from the young people,” Suleiman said. “Others are pushing them to do that.”